The color on the pour is a deep black cherry red with a Brobdingnagian sized head that is semi-creamy in texture, the color a light tan tinged with red and as it evanesces the lace forms a thick and clinging curtain to obscure the glass. Nose is that of ripe cherries, and sweet malt grains, tart and crisp, fresh an appealing like homemade bread fresh from the oven. The front is ambrosial, loaded with malt, the top rich and full, what a treat. Finish has a meaningful acidity with the hops present and delicate in their spiciness, cherry sweetness and flavor carries to the somewhat vinous and dry aftertaste, what a Hoot, and once as with Lambics I shunned this style of beers. Thankfully Ive had a reclamation and now see the errors of my ways, and thanks to tavernjef, another opportunity to sample a great beer from a great brewery. (847 characters)

Looks like blood. Like coagulating blood. Little to no head, but then this is wine, right . . . ?

Smells tart of sour cherries with some Christmas spice light in the background. No wafts of aroma as I had expected (as you might get from some lambics e.g.). No beer.

Served very chilled, the tartness is unbearable. My lips pucker, my cheeks flood into an oral void of sweetness. The taste is true -- this is definetly made with one pound of cherries (a whole friggin' pound?!) -- but I need to let it warm before I can drink more than two ounces of it. The flavors do come together soon after. The tartness is reduced and gives way to medium full body and a distinct "beeryness" (as opposed to its primary berryness). The beer quality is ungratifying, however, as it seems to be layered beneath the cherries instead of integrated.

The goal of this brew is clearly to give intense cherry flavor. And the means to this end are quite respectable: New Glarus uses locally grown cherries and devotes a full pound to every bottle. At $10 a bottle ( = $5 a glass) this stuff ain't cheap, but when you figure what a pound of cherries costs on its own, the price is foolishly reasonable.

If the goal is to simply give us cherries -- sour, almost cranberry-like -- then I wonder what sets this apart from something like apple cider. The little sugar from the cherries (key to their distinct taste) is devoured by the yeast leaving us with nothing but the bite. The malts give wonderful body to the beer, but offer nothing else. They act as adjuncts to the cherries for fermentation. This is juice first, beer later.

It's a world champion and I can see why. I don't believe in brews like this, however (perhaps it's the reinheitsgebot talking). Drier even than some lambics, I don't think this can be rightfully labeled "ale" for it's more influenced, in taste, by spontaneously fermented beers. And, amongst them, New Glarus Belgian Red stands out like a sore thumb. Stacked up against classic krieks like Cantillon, the first thing you notice about this is its lack of earth and must that characterizes the style. For an American intepretation, however (keeping in mind this stuff isn't fermented in rooms caked with yeast and mold), this is quite a feat. This brewery can do anything.

A wonderful blegian style cherry beer from Wisconsin! This one pours out a bright red colour with a nice, fizzy pink head. The aromas are fresh cherries, and I mean CHERRIES! Pits, pulp, flesh, skin, the whole she-bang. The taste is wonderfully cherry-ish and fruity. It is a tad bit sweet, and it could finish a bit more dry, but it is exceptional the way it is. A true ale or beer base is lacking and this is very much a fruity beer for people who like fruit beers. The mouthfeel is good...a little heavier than most fruit beers or new-style lambics. The drinkability is excellent but the sweetness gets to you after a while so I recommend splitting a 750 with your girlfriend, fiance, wife, etc...like I did.

Great stuff!

thanks to feloniousmonk for this one and the other beers he helped me to sample! (811 characters)

Pours a deep burgundy hue, prety spritzy at first, but the head dissipates quickly. The mouthfeel is fuller than a typical Belgium kriek. Upfront there's some tartness, followed by an intense burst of real cherry flavor, almost like a baked cherry cobbler. Finishes with a surprising flavor of spiced plums. A really fantastic interpretation of a classic Belgium style by an artisanal American brewery. (402 characters)

Looks like a liquid cherry! A beautiful, cloudy red beer with a pinkish head that won't give, except for some lacing. Smells predominantly of cherries, obviously, with some spice. Even though it really does not taste like a beer (is there alcohol in this? if so, you can't tell) it tastes wonderful. Sour spice and, again of course, cherry. Very smooth on the tongue. Delicious aftertaste that lingers for just the right amount of time. Once it's gone, you want another taste. Very drinkable, all of it's strong qualities make it so, but the fruitiness keeps the drinkability from being perfect. (595 characters)

A picture perfect cloudy, reddish brown brew -- hawthorn berries, rose hips, the bottoms of dried rose petals -- with thick, fluffy pink head. The lacing is so delicate and randomly strewn about the glass, forming natural-looking abstractions. It clings to the sides and the bottom as one tilts the glass for a sip. Simply gorgeous.

The cherry aroma is strikingly sweet in the vein of marischino cherries or store-bought cherry pie. Hostess thanks New Glarus for buying a mega-ton of their cherry filling.

Powerful cherry flavors dominate. This is Alexander taken to its extreme with the cherries overtaking the natural fruit flavors of the style, and it fills a niche as a prime dessert or before- or after-dinner drink. Perhaps to be used in cooking too...if you're willing to sacrifice not drinking it. The point: excellent flavor. Sweeter than all hell and balanced with just a touch of sour cherry tartness, but if you're not opposed to that taste in beer, you're sure to love this.

Well-carbonated and lively to start, it loses a little punch as you drink it. It's not bad -- just different from its initial feel. What starts as a lively lambic feel drifts to the Dutchess, which is hardly a bad thing. Just interesting...a mouthfull of red satin sheets. Nonetheless, it's very drinkable. It's sweetness limits its drinkability a tiny bit, even for someone with as big a beer sweet tooth as I have. Highly recommended, though. (1,441 characters)

A cloudy orange red looking ale with an initially towering head that subsides rather quickly to a thin disorganized layer of froth. Outstanding aroma of whole cherries with a touch of cinniman in the mix. Has an almost full body witha tart crispness to it.Flavor is sour and crisp with a big cherry flavor and a dry mouth puckering finish. Wasn't sure what to expect with this one but am extremely pleased. A very flavorful ale and paired nicely with my gorgonzola and chicken salad. (483 characters)

Great cherry nose. After a while, a litle malt sneaks in as well. Fresh, fresh cherry smell dominates.

Beer pours a wonderful reddish brown. Looks like a redder version of natural apple cider. Not a ton of head or lacing.

Taste is just wonderful. Clear use of quality ingredients. Nice cherry taste that is kept in line by a perfect dosage of malt. Hints of apple, cinnamon and all spice. Wow, what a great change of pace beer.

This beer would be great a holiday beer, but is tasty year around.

The carbonation and mouthfeel is just about perfect. I'm not sure I could drink more than one of these a night. Instead, this seems like a special occasion type beer. But then again, there is no reason not to enjoy it any time.

Another great beer from New Glarus. Please search this one out!! (877 characters)

Another brew that lives up to its hype, this kriek-style ale pours a deep red/amber color with a frothy, sparkling wine-like pinkish head. Very impressive looking in a flute glass, this one leaves trails of lace. Smell is tart and almost acidic at first, with some true fruity sweetness coming through thereafter. Taste is similar, but totally unlike any Belgian kriek I've had. Big, monstrous cherry notes hit the palate at first, with a dry, tart and acidic finish. The best way for me to describe it is like cherry pie filling. Cherry pie as in that which your mother would make, not Hostess. Wow. Very complex and if nothing else, divine. Mouthfeel is prickly and effervescent at first when chilled, then somewhat syrupy when it reaches room temperature. Moderate in alcohol, somewhat sweet, somewhat tart, but overly satisfying, this Belgian-style ale drinks incredibly well. Would pair incredibly with the aforementioned cherry pie as an appropriate dessert brew. Better yet, enjoy it by itself. An awesome creation from New Glarus. (1,038 characters)

This was our “brunch beer” before we embarked on our mini-BA San Diego Pub-Crawl last weekend.

Presentation: A 750ml green glass bottle with a colorful label. Xlperro had neatly removed the wax from around the upper neck of the bottle, though it was still possible to tell from the remnants that some had indeed been there, & that it was appropriately red in color. The picture of the cherries on the front label also hinted at what this often talked about beer had to offer the first-timer.

Appearance: Poured with a murky hue, the color is hard to accurately describe, say that it was a fusion of dark reds & medium browns, that continually altered depending on how it was viewed through the Chalice Glass. A light flamingo pink head sprung to life when poured but soon fizzled out to leave a few trace bubbles on the beers surface.

Nose: A deep fresh odor of real cherries that has a tart, almost acidic nose. Dry in character but very fruity, yet not too sweet. You can tell that this is made with real cherries – there are no sweet/sickly/syrup smells here at all. It has a gorgeous fresh fruit smell that I found I constantly had to reacquaint myself with.

Taste: The beginning reminded of how many traditional Krieks start; a tart, sharp pinching acidic cherry punch. This slowly subsides, & lets in the other flavors like spices, malt, & often wood/oak tinges, yet it had a sweetness in the still tart finish. Occasionally an acidic vinuous ‘spike’ would catch you out, just when you thought the tartness had disappeared for good – I enjoyed that.

Mouthfeel: Swirled in the glass it released dissolved carbon dioxide, when you did this in the mouth it danced on the palate. Smooth, nicely carbonated feel that at times felt like you had a mouth full of Dark Skin Cherries mixed with a Cantillon Kriek &and a Rodenbach Classic. However, it did exhibit a slight sweetness after it was swallowed.

Drinkability: The sweetness in the finish is the only distraction in the drinkability in this beer for me personally. At 5.1% ABV, I could easily drink several glasses without much problem, however, the sweetness in the end would eventually make it hard for me to do so I believe.

Overall: An excellent beer that is very difficult to fault. Highly Accomplished.

A huge ‘BigDog’ Thank You to fellow BA xlperro for being extremely kind enough to share it with me. It was very much appreciated, & proved to be an excellent start to the days beer activities. (2,532 characters)

Reddish (purple?) brown and cloudy with a pinkish cotton candy head. Resembles many mass market fruit Lambics. Good cherry aroma, not at all artificial but with an accurate sense of sweetness and sourness that you taste in real fruit. Some yeasty bready notes, as well. Flavor is very well constructed macerated cherry with skin in a very natural tart state. An accompanying bit of wheaty grain makes for a nice velvety mouthfeel and well matched sense of astringent drying for the finish. Much better than over mass market sweetened Lambics and American fruit Wheats. An overalll winner (still a little too sweet), I am still hoping against all odds that New Glarus one day sells on the other side of the Wisconsin border. (723 characters)

Belgian Red poured a hazy ruby brown with a cherry soda pink head that didnt last long but did form a collar and leave some lacing on the glass. The aroma was a sweet and sour cherry with some earthy notes in the very far background. Taste started with a slap of cherry tartness that quickly becomes cherry sweetness followed by notes of malt and some spice. After the initial shock of tart and sweetness there develops a balance of cherry and malt that leans on the sweet side but the vinous flavors are never far away. The finish is less malty with the carbonation giving the sour/tartness one last stab at dominance. Aftertaste is a lingering sweet/tart cherry flavor with no malt or hop flavors noticeable. Mouthfeel is slightly sticky yet medium light in body with a light carbonation.
Overall I find Belgian Red more of a special occasion dessert beer than anything else. For me it is a bit sweeter and fruitier than I normally like. If I could change anything it would be to make it a bit tarter and a wee bit maltier. (1,028 characters)

First time, as far as I can tell, that I've tried this style.... The color was very hard to describe....sort of a brownish/purple, or perhaps carmine/magenta....? I guess maybe it was the color of plums? Anyhow, it was opaque, with a fine, slightly purple-colored, thin head. Lacing was at a minimum, and there was an incessant stream of minute bubbles heading topside. Nose was overwhelmingly cherry-ish and tart. Quite inviting, actually! The body checked-in at a bit above medium. As far as the feel on the tongue, despite a high carbonation level, it did not attack the palate yet went by with a foamy/creamy bubbliness. It reminded of how a good Hefe- feels going down. There was a crisp, wheaty-like aspect to it, and a huge, tart (yet still semi-sweet) cherry flavor along with a winey character. The finish was a bit dry, and lip-smacking. Made me want to keep diving into the glass for more. I really enjoyed this, though perhaps drinkability is lower than normal since I would like this only as a rare diversion from my regular stable of biers. Thnx to jeffboo for allowing me to enjoy this beauty! Prosit!!

Even better in the mouth. Simply beautiful and rich on the palate with a penetrating sourness that leaves the tongue tingling. Great body, with a touch of residual sugar to take some of the sting out of the acidity. I'd prefer it to be a bit more sour, but its still an easy "5" as it is.

Great fine carbonation scrubs sourness away at the end of the incredibly long finish. A lick of the lips results in waves of sour cherry echoing across the palate. A tremendous beer. (783 characters)

Pours a rusty red in color . Murky and aromatic. The pinkish-tan head fades rather quickly to a thin layer and "cling-ring".
The aroma is of cinnamon and cherry soda. It's all about the cherries here.
Tart cherry taste. It reminds me of the cherry pies my grandma used to bake for me. This beer is a dessert in itself.
A well crafted brew to be sure, but one I can't see myself drinking all too often. I will keep the other bottles I have for special occasions though, since they are no longer available outside of Wisconsin. (529 characters)

Origianlly sampled 7 October 2002. This baby has a beautifully complex nose of cherries & cinnamon. The flavor is chocked full of cherries. It has a very nice red color. This beer is a great thirst quencher w/ its cherry sourness. A very nice example of a sour ale. (265 characters)

Yep, liked it. Extremely fresh. Soft texture, with a wonderfully lightly tart, soft, natural cherry sourness. Never candyish, always natural (except the aroma kinda smelled like lollypops or soemthing). Mix the cherrys in with some light oak and mayne some nuttyness. If i had one complaint it would be that its not assertive enough (more sour, more stink), but hey, the balance couldn't really be any better right? Thanks Feloniousmonk for this truly classic beer. (465 characters)

Reddish brown color, hazy. Small to no head. Aroma is cherry and malt. WOW.. AND I DO MEAN WOW!! I had this beer several years ago, and while I had no notes on it. It tastes exactly the way I remembered it. Medium bodied. Intense cherry flavor, sweet, sour and tart. There is some malt sweetness as well as hop spiciness as well. Complex and intense flavors. Extremely smooth. Not very beer like, closest style might be a lambic?? But, who cares it tastes amazing. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is clean and sweet. World class beer. (570 characters)

I love this beer! First you have to consider the elegant packaging... the green 750ml bottle, the red wax, even the label is classy. Then you pour... aroma is a blast of fresh pie cherries. And the color, a hazy beautiful dark pink-red complete with a light pink head which fades quickly. Taste is a refreshing, sweet-tart, complex sour, acetic, cherry flavor. Not for amateurs! My friend and girlfriend didn't really care for it and they gave me theirs. She said the tartness and carbonation reminded her of the inside of Zots candy. More for me! Just one drop of this beer is loaded with flavors. Medium body with a medium, brisk, carbonation accentuating the tartness. I look forward to trying it again at the GABF. (718 characters)

From tiny flower on a tree to a ripe red fruit for use in this wonderful brew, the cherry has not been featured quite like this before. The whole cherry is the star here, skin,fruit,pit, probablly even stem. Poured into a rounded glass, it's the color of ripe cherry red with a very pink and creamy thick head. The aroma is bursting with ripe whole fresh cherrys, pits and all- nothing artificial about it. The flavor follows suit with a sweet and tart whole fresh cherry flavor with a toasted oak finish. It is medium body holds a very rich but refreshing drink. The carbonation is mellow not bubbly, allowing the complex cherry flavor to stand tall.It could have hit a "5" in taste with a little more malt in the backround but I'm not complaining. This is good stuff !! This isn't what you may have had in other fruit beers, this is unique- try it. (850 characters)

The first time I sampled this brew was a blind taste test vs. Cantillion at a local bowling alley/restaurant/theater/music venue/beer and wine bar. NG came out on top!
Color is a rich, ripe, bright cherry red, with a short and soon departed head. Aroma is in a class of it's own: absolutely gorgeous! Rich, delicious, vinous, sweet, and sour, the perfect picture of cherries! It's utterly wonderful, and a joy to drink in deep with the nose!
On the palate, other tranformations occur: WOW! Dazzling, uplifting, and lovely! By tranformative, I mean that something new occurs in me, I am 100% happier by drinking this elixir, my mood is elevated, every atom has an energized attitude!
Several waves of sensation occur throughout the consumption of this ale, it jumps and jiggers in the mouth, surges in and sallies out. The taste continues, and the feeling wells up in and rides over every square inch of the body that is apt to perceive sensation! Finish is a bit tartish, but what do you want, it's cherries, man!
Wow...this was perfect, and I felt that the 750 ml wax finshed bottle was a bit stingy! Hook me up to a keg of this stuff! (1,141 characters)

Oh what a joy this stuff is! Its been a while since the last time I had this stuff, all I remember is, "me want more". I take it all in stride as the bottle itself is awesome with the bottle dipped in red wax covering the cap and neck. Very cool. Then the color is very gem-like when put up to the light, glowing with reddish, pinky/orange thats slightly opaque with a very unique pinkish/orangy head of light bubbly froth, with some large bubbles, and poured out to be about two inches high and settled down to a small bubbly froth with some curtain-like lacing of tiny-tight bubbles.
Smells of nice fruity tart cherries and a bit sour, like a lemonade.
Taste is a heavenly nice sweetly sour and tart cherry thats easily smooth and a bit like a fruit juice or wine cooler but much nicer flavor. It's medium body and generously carbonated with a huge sweet feel in the front, then just lays down smooth and slightly drying to the finish leaving a great sour tart bite in the back of my mouth. Take a cherry lambic and lighten it up a bit and here ya go, a very interestingly, very drinkable treat of yumminess. (1,113 characters)

750 ml bottle, capped coated with red wax, pours a deep reddish brown in color that has a big head that doesn't last, sweet, fruity cherry aroma with a sweet and lightly sour taste of cherries, very carbonated on the tongue, finishes clean and fruity. (251 characters)

1 pt 9 oz green glass bottle, capped, with red wax on the cap and neck. No freshness date. I estimate this bottle to be a few years old.

The bottle states that each bottle contains a pound of cherries, and I believe it! This is a very delicious cherry lambic-style (is there such a thing?) ale.

Pours a hazy, red-amber with good off-white foam that leaves nice lace down the glass (a flute, in this case). The smell was very pleasant: cherries, citrus, and a hint of spice. The taste was sweet and tart cherries with a little hint of cinnamon. Not too sweet, not too tart. The mouthfeel was creamy with medium body and moderate carbonation. This was a very nice and refreshing cherry ale. I enjoyed it very much. I can see why this is an award winner. (757 characters)